William schack



w. SCHACK. AUTOMATICALLY OPERATED FOOT PEDAL FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

I APPLICATION FILED IAN-10,19. 1,304,605.

Patnted May 27, 1919.

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AUTOMATICALLY OPEHA'TED FOOT PEDAL FOR PLAYER PIANOS. APPLICATION FILED JAN-10.1916.

1,3045605. I Patented May 27, l9l9.

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WILLIAM SGHACK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATICALLY-OPERATED FOOT-PEDAL FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1919.

Application filed January 10, 1916. Serial No. 71,209.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SoHAoK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatically Operated Foot -Pedals for Player- Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

The device, which I am about to describe is an electromagnetic means for obtaining a movement of the pedal or bellows of a player piano and is of a similar construction to that shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 91,256, filed April 14, 1916.

In the past this useful operation has usually been accomplished by means of the feet of the operator or by an electric or mechanical motor.

My device is designed with a view of simpli-fying the attachment of an electrically operating device to make unnecessary the complicated mechanisms used for reducing the speed of a motor and also to do away with the mechanical sounds produced by the motor-speed-reducing parts and the several mechanical connections which it has been found necessary to employ.

My device is so constructed that it can be attached to an ordinary player piano without material change in the construction of the piano and when so attached and with but slight readjustment of a part, the piano may be operated by foot power. My principal aim then is simplicity and efliciency and to that end I employ the mechanisms and in the manner to be described.

The following is what I consider a good means of carrying out this invention and the accompanying drawings form part of this specification in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the piano, showing the application of my improvement thereto;

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing a means for obtaining an alternate movement of the pedals;

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the circuit connections;

' Fig. 4 isa partial sectional view on an enlar ed scale, of the operating device alone;

5 is aplan view of a switch operatinmechanism; and

ig. 6 is an elevation of the same.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in all the figures where they appear.

In Flg. l, I have shown an ordinary player piano as indicated at l, which may be of any general design shape and size. The keyboard is shown at 2 and under the keyboard a front board 3 is shown which is provided with an aperture 4 adjacent to which arearranged a plurality of pedals 5 and 6. The pedals are connected through the aperture 4 with the bellows of the piano. All of the parts thus far described require no change in their application to my invention and therefore they will require no detailed description as it is thought that their construction, their relation and their operation are fully understood.

Secured to the front board 3 is a small cabinet 7 within which I arrange the operatlng mechanism for a rod 8 which rod terminates in a crossbar 9 impinging upon each of the pedals 5 and 6.

The operation of the rod 8 will cause an operation of the pedals and it is with the means for operating this rod that this application has to do and therefore I refer to Fig. 2 where the operative mechanism is shown in detail.

Arranged within the cabinet 7 is a solenoid 10 having a movable plunger 11 which plunger is, upon the energizing of the coil 10, caused to assume a central position within the coil.

Normally the core or plunger 11 will be elevated by the action of the ordinary pedal return springs upon the crossbar 9 and rod 8, the rod 8 being connected by means of a hinge block 12 to a plug 13 which is screw-threaded into the lower end of the core 11.

The core 11 being normally elevated the coil 10 will tend to draw the core 11v downward when the coil is energized from a convenient source of electric current supply and will retain the core in its lowermost position during such time as the current continues to flow through the coil 10,.- This downward movement of the core will through the-rod 8 and crossbar 9 depress both of the pedals 5 and 6. I v

Associated with the core 11 isa switch mechanism for supplying current to .the coil 10 to move it in one direction and for cutting off the supply of current at the end of such movement to permit the return of the core.

A source of current supply, not shown, is connected to one blade 14 of the uppermost switch member by conductor 27 as shown in the diagram of Fig. 3 and a jumper or wire connection 15 continues from the source of current supply to one side 16 of the lowermost'switch member. The other lead 28 from the current supply passes through the coil 10 and terminates at the other side 17 of the lowermost switch member and is also connected by wire 33 with the second blade 18 of the uppermost switch member.

A plug 19 is secured to an arm 20 which is adjustably supported upon the core 11 and when this plug 19 is introduced between the blades 14 and 18 of the uppermost switch member current will pass through the coil 10. J

The lowermost switch member consists of a plug 21 movable in the bracket 22. The forward end of the plug 21 is fitted with a soft iron button 23 and the outer end supports a resilient arched member 24 which when the switch is closed, makes contact between the contacts 16 and 17 completing the path across these contacts. spring 25 urges the plug 21 outward to open the contact closed by the member 24.

' When the coil 10 is energized and thejcore 11 magnetized, the magnetic flux will draw the button 23 and plug 21 against the force of spring 25 toward the core 11 and close the path or circuit between the contacts 16 and 17. This circuit or path will remain closed until a projection 26 upon the core 11 forces the button 23 away from the core 11 to an extent sufficient to open the path between the blocks 16 and 17.

In the operation of the device the current is allowed to flow through the leads 27 and 28 to theclips 14 and 18 of the upper switch member, the path of the current being through the coil 10. When the plug 19 closes the circuit between the clips 14 and 18 the coil will be energized and the core ll'magnetized. At this time thecore will not start to traveldownwardly before the button 23 is drawn inward to an extent to close the second path for the current supply which path is through the contacts 16 and 17. Now even though the plug 19 leave the clips 14 and 18 current will continue to flow through the coil at this time through the secondary circuit via the contacts 16 and 17 and the arched member 24. The

flow will continue until the projection 26 impinges upon the button 23 to an extent suflicient to move the member 24 outwardly and break the circuit across the contacts 16 and 17. p This interruption may cause an arc due to the discharge or kick of the coil 10. The discharge will be taken up by a suitable condenser 29 in a circuit between the wire 15 and the wire 33 and the member 24 and contacts 16 and 17 will not be injured by the discharge. 7 V

The movement of the coil operating the rod 8 will depress both pedals 5'and 6 and when the circuit is broken by the completed movement of the core 11 the springswhich assist in the operation of the pedals 5 and 6 will return the core 11 to its uppermost position reestablishing the circuit through the clips 14 and 18 and by magnetizing the core. the circuit will be completed across the blocks 16 and 17 and a second cycle of operation will ensue. The arm 20 is'made adjustable so that the period during which the plug 19 is in contact with the clips 14 and 18 may be varied at will.;

I provide a spring '30' adjacent to the upper end of the plunger 11 whichtakes up the shock of the return of the button should current be cut oif when. the spring 25 is compressed. V r

In the early description of the apparatus I have indicated that both pedals were operated in unison but it is possible that some would prefer an alternate operation of the pedals, to this end I have provided a rocker arm 50 (Fig. 3) which is connected to a lever 51 to which the rod 8 is secured. From the rocker arm 50 pivoted levers 52 and 53 are attached to the pedals 5 and 6 and the movement of the rod 8 in either direction will cause an alternate movement of the pedals 5 and 6. If this construction is utilized it will possibly be necessary to employ an additional spring 54 for obtaining a reverse or upward movement of the rod 8. Other modifications-may be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the principles or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

The plug 13 and the hinge 12 (Fig. 4) should be of brass or some other non-magnetic material. The rod 8 may be of wood. and I may allow the crossbar 9to' bear upon forth.

confined to the use of an electro-magnet having a movable core, but thata magnet may be employed in which the coil or casjing may be moved oran armaturethat is It will further appear that I may not. be 7 not the core may constitute the movable with said pedal for positively moving the member. latter in opposition to its spring, and a cir- Having carefully and fully described my cuit controller for alternately closing and invention What I claim and desire to secure opening the circuit of the solenoid.

by Letters Patent is Signed at New York city this 4th day of The combination with a musical instru- January, 1916.

ment having an operating mechanism provided with a pedal which is spring-pressed WILLIAM SOHACK' in one direction and adapted to be positively Vvitnesses: moved in the other direction, of a solenoidal ARTHUR PHELPS MARR, electromagnet having its core connected G. E. S. MARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Paton". Washington, D. G. 

